GOBs not interested in residents’ opinions

Editor:

The Beacon has had several articles recently about the “single trash hauler” issue. Appropriately several neighboring townships actually decided to have public meetings on the subject. Walnut Township Trustees even listened to THE PEOPLE.

In contrast, let’s see how our GOB Bowling Green Township trustees do business! First, they do not have an advance agenda for their once a month meeting. There is an agenda once you get there, but somehow the single trash hauler issue didn’t make it. But no big deal though, right? Trustee Watkins was heard saying, “Everybody is doing it… We just want to see what we get...we don’t have to do it!”

So having said this, trustees decide to go ahead and put a small ad in the Newark Advocate. Fact is they only get one (YES... ONE) reply/bid back from Big O. The GOB’s decide right on the spot that this is good enough and presto, just like that we have a signed contract. Somehow they felt that this was competitive bidding?

None of the other trash haulers in the township knew about it. Somehow Big O found out – go figure! Now could it be due to the fact that this process was done so fast and entirely under residents’ radar? This whole process took about three months from beginning to end, with absolutely no notice about this issue to residents. Of course once it was done and Big O sent out a notice to residents then all hell broke loose at the next trustees’ meeting. But by then it was a done deal.

Here is the standard answer from GOB Watkins to anyone that complained, “We are saving you money. We need to save the roads. It is our job and it was our decision to make.” Better yet, he then says...”if you wanted to know anything...then you should have come to the meeting!” Watkins even went so far as to call one of these residents “stupid,” which is exactly what happens normally when anyone disagrees with his logic.

Remember, we are talking about a regular monthly meeting where residents have no idea what is going to be discussed ahead of time. There is no website info about this or even past meetings, unless you go back a few months. In any case, you probably get the point, our GOB’s decided this is what THEY wanted and they did it. It is as simple as that. It was quite obvious that they did not believe residents should have any opportunity to voice their opinions.

Basically it gets down to residents had better like it, since Watkins is saving them money after all. Personally, I wonder what will happen when the little local guys get run out of business a few years from now? Or am I wrong in assuming that companies like CMI, the local competition, was somehow keeping things in check on that front? They don’t have Trustee Chorpenning to blame any more, so who is next?

There is an election coming and GOB Watkins, yes the same guy that took almost $3,000 worth of illegal Medicare reimbursement checks, is up for election again. Let him hear THE PEOPLE at the ballot box!